lad
noun
a boy or youth.
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lad
1 American
[lad]
/ læd /
noun
-
lads
plural
-
a boy or youth.
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Informal. a familiar or affectionate term of address for a man; chap.
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British Horseracing Informal. a stable boy.
LAD
2
American
abbreviation
Psycholinguistics.
lad
British
/ læd /
noun
-
a boy or young man
-
informal a familiar form of address for any male
-
a lively or dashing man or youth (esp in the phrase a bit of a lad )
-
a young man whose behaviour is characteristic of male adolescents, esp in being rowdy, macho, or immature
-
a boy or man who looks after horses
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of lad
1250–1300; Middle English ladde < ?; compare late Old English Ladda (nickname)
Explanation
Lad is another word for a boy or a young man. A man who's been hit with a water balloon might turn around to a group of giggling boys and ask, "All right, which of you lads did that?" You can use the casual lad instead of guy, fellow, or chap. This word is much more common in Britain than in the U.S., although everyone understands what it means. Someone in London might talk about going out on the town with "the lads," while in Boston people are more likely to say they're meeting "the guys." Lad, originally spelled ladde, first meant "foot soldier," or "young servant."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"There was so much stuff going on in Liverpool when I was a lad," he said.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
It said Luke was a "charming, approachable and genuinely lovely lad", whose "kindness, enthusiasm and character" touched all at the sixth form.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Bishop said: "I went out for a motorbike ride with Tim Peake, who's a brilliant lad and a great cyclist. I learnt a lesson today. Astronauts are better motorcyclists than comedians."
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
In the video, uploaded to a Russian recruitment account, Townsend described himself as "a normal working-class lad from Yorkshire".
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
“I’ll leave the lad an acre in my will,” Buttercup’s father was fond of saying.
From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
By being in the environment, hearing the language and most important, understanding the language, somehow or other something kicks in in the brain called the LAD — the language acquisition device.
From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2023
Dr. McCormack later told me a heart attack that occurs when the LAD is completely or almost completely blocked is commonly known as the widowmaker.
From Fox News ● Aug. 23, 2021
CHIEFTAIN'S LAD angled in and chased between horses then off the rail, split rivals on the turn and into the stretch and did not rally.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2019
He paid tribute to hospital staff who diagnosed a blocked LAD artery - the main artery running down the front of the heart.
From BBC ● Feb. 26, 2018
LAD, s. a sweetheart LADDIE, s. a boy, or young man.
From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume XXIV. by Alexander Leighton
"The lads were great again. We showed determination again. I am a forward so I have to keep scoring and helping the team. It is good for my confidence."
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
One year, I took Stoke down to Exmouth, where the lads were put through their paces doing cross-country circuits.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
"I don't think it hinders us. Some of the lads were talking about the last World Cup and it was probably one of the most difficult losses of my career to date," Williams added.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
It was early July at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, and the lads were about to test themselves against Brazil for a spot in the quarterfinals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
The two lads were well liked by the Thebans and the two girls were as good daughters as a man could have.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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